The invention relates to a winding device for a yarn, and in particular for a yarn having little or no elongation. More particularly, the present invention relates to a winding device for a web or yarn in which the yarn is wound on a foundation or article. Especially, to such a winding device where a yarn guide unit is located upstream from the foundation and a rotary drive is provided for the foundation. An unwinding device unwinds the yarn from a supply and a tension regulator controls tension in the yarn as it is fed and wound about the foundation or article. The yarn tension regulator includes a compensating arm mechanism and an electrical or electronic control.
Winding devices of the type in question have been known for a long time. Generally, such devices are utilized to unwind the yarn from the supply package or yarn source and to wind it in a certain way on a foundation, for example, on the foundation of a cheese. Best results are usually achieved when the winding of the yarn on the foundation is performed with as constant a yarn tension as possible. Many developments relate to the problem of how to wind cheeses and other winding bodies or articles with suitable foundations with as constant as possible a yarn tension, or with a yarn tension that changes in a defined or predetermined way (German Patent No. 37 23 593). Very special significance is placed on the right control of the yarn tension during the winding of yarns with approximately zero elongation, for example, of novel plastic filaments such as KEVLAR or the like. The known winding device upon which the present invention is based has a supply package for the yarn that is driven directly by an unwinding drive. The yarn tension regulator is embodied as a compensating arm mechanism. Slight variations in the yarn tension that are caused by the foundation (as it is rotated) can be controlled by the yarn tension regulator. Further, it is also possible to control the unwinding drive according to a measurement signal from the yarn tension regulator. However, because of the mass inertia of the supply package, this control of the unwinding drive is very slow. Since extremely large compensating arm deviations or displacements cannot be tolerated, ultimately, the known winding device only can be used where only slight variations of the yarn tension are to be expected during operation.